List of Soft Machine and spin-off band members
Soft Machine are an English jazz-rock[1] band from Canterbury. Formed in mid-1966, the group originally consisted of drummer and vocalist Robert Wyatt, guitarists Daevid Allen and Larry Nowlin, bassist and vocalist Kevin Ayers, and keyboardist Mike Ratledge. The current lineup of the band features guitarist John Etheridge (1975–1978, 1984 and since 2015), saxophonist, keyboardist Theo Travis (since 2015), bassist Fred Baker (since 2020) and drummer Asaf Sirkis (since 2022).
History
[edit]Original run
[edit]Soft Machine were formed in mid-1966 by drummer and vocalist Robert Wyatt, guitarists Daevid Allen and Larry Nowlin, bassist and vocalist Kevin Ayers and keyboardist Mike Ratledge. Wyatt, Allen and Ratledge had first worked together in 1963 as the Daevid Allen Trio,[2] after which Wyatt and Ayers co-founded the Wilde Flowers in late 1964 and Mister Head in early 1966, the latter with Allen and Nowlin. Mister Head was short-lived and in mid-1966 Wyatt, Ayers, Allen and Nowlin joined Ratledge to form Soft Machine. Nowlin's time with the band was brief, leaving less than two months after the band formed, reducing them to a quartet.[3] Soft Machine released a single, "Love Makes Sweet Music", in February 1967. Six months later they were reduced to a trio, when Allen, an Australian, was denied re-entry to the UK following a tour of France, after overstaying his visa.[4] Wyatt, Ayers and Ratledge recorded Soft Machine's self-titled debut album in April 1968, which was issued at the end of the year.[5] After the album's completion, Andy Summers joined the band on guitar, though he left after just two months returning the band to a trio.[6] After a final American tour, opening for the Jimi Hendrix Experience, Ayers left Soft Machine in September 1968.[7]
Wyatt and Ratledge rebuilt Soft Machine in December 1968 with Hugh Hopper replacing Ayers on bass. Another former member of the Daevid Allen Trio and the Wilde Flowers, Hopper had previously guested on Soft Machine's debut album. This new lineup recorded Volume Two during early 1969, and eventually released in September that year.[8] After guesting on the Volume Two sessions, Hopper's brother Brian Hopper, another Wilde Flowers founder, joined the band on saxophone in May 1969. After five months, Brian Hopper departed, with Wyatt, Ratledge and Hugh Hopper expanding the band to a septet with the addition of a four-piece horn section: saxophonists Elton Dean and Lyn Dobson, cornet player Mark Charig and trombonist Nick Evans.[9] Both Charig and Evans left after two months due to "financial and logistical challenges", while Dobson also left the band in March 1970.[9]
After the release and promotion of Third and Fourth, Wyatt was fired in August 1971. Wyatt's replacement was initially Australian drummer Phil Howard. However, after half of the next album Fifth was recorded, Howard himself was replaced by John Marshall. After Fifth was completed, Dean also left in mid-1972 and was replaced by Karl Jenkins, a former bandmate of Marshall's in Nucleus.[10] The group issued Six the next year, which was Hopper's last album before departing in May 1973.[11] He was replaced by Roy Babbington, another former Nucleus member who had previously worked with Soft Machine as a session musician, playing double bass on Fourth and Fifth.[10] In November 1973, the group became a quintet again with the addition of Allan Holdsworth (another Nucleus alumnus) as their first guitarist in five years.[12] This lineup recorded the album Bundles and managed to stay together until April 1975, when Holdsworth departed. He recommended John Etheridge as his replacement.[13] At the beginning of 1976, saxophonist Alan Wakeman was added, at which point Jenkins stopped playing saxophone and oboe and focused solely on keyboards.[14] In March 1976, the band were left with no original members when Ratledge chose to leave.[15]
After the release of Softs in 1976, Soft Machine's lineup continued to change regularly. Wakeman left in July, just after the album's release,[17] and was replaced briefly by Ray Warleigh, who had worked with the band previously as a session player on Bundles.[18] For a European tour later in the year, Ric Sanders joined on violin and Percy Jones of Brand X took over from Babbington, who had suddenly quit.[19] Jones declined to join on a full-time basis and was replaced by Steve Cook. Live shows in 1977 spawned the band's first completely live release, Alive & Well: Recorded in Paris.[20] After a final show in December 1978, as a quartet without Sanders and with Allan Holdsworth returning to replace Etheridge,[21] Soft Machine disbanded and members went their separate ways.
Occasional reunions
[edit]The Soft Machine name was briefly revived in 1980 for Land of Cockayne.[22] In the summer of 1984, Soft Machine reformed once again for a short run of shows at Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club, with the band comprising John Marshall, Karl Jenkins, Ray Warleigh, John Etheridge, Paul Carmichael and Dave MacRae.[23]
Early spin-off bands
[edit]In 1978, former Soft Machine bassist Hugh Hopper and saxophonist Elton Dean formed the spin-off band Soft Heap, with former National Health keyboardist Alan Gowen and drummer Pip Pyle.[24] For their first tour, Pyle was temporarily replaced by Dave Sheen due to other commitments, and the group (renamed Soft Head) issued the live album Rogue Element by the end of the year.[25] With Pyle back on drums, the band recorded a self-titled debut album in late 1978, which was issued early the following year.[26] National Health's John Greaves later replaced Hopper and guitarist Mark Hewins joined after Gowen's death in 1981, with this second incarnation recording the live album A Veritable Centaur released in 1995.[27] A live album recorded by the original Soft Heap lineup of Hopper, Dean, Gowen and Pyle in 1978 was released as Al Dente in 2008.[28]
Later spin-off bands
[edit]Over ten years after the last Soft Machine spin-off band, Hugh Hopper and Elton Dean formed Soft Ware in 1999, adding former Soft Machine drummer John Marshall and former King Crimson contributor Keith Tippett on keyboards.[29] The group did not release any albums, and by 2002 had changed their name to Soft Works as Tippett left and former guitarist Allan Holdsworth joined.[29] Abracadabra, the band's only studio album, was issued in 2003.[30] Holdsworth left again after the album's release and was replaced in October 2004 by his original replacement in Soft Machine, John Etheridge; at this point, the band renamed themselves Soft Machine Legacy.[29] During the final Soft Works tour, Hopper and Dean also recorded an album with Japanese keyboardist Hoppy Kamiyama and drummer Tatsuya Yoshida under the name Soft Mountain.[31] In 2004, they completed a tour with French keyboardist Sophia Domancich and drummer Simon Goubert under the name Soft Bounds.[32]
The first lineup of Soft Machine Legacy released Live at Zaandam in 2005, followed by a self-titled debut studio album and the live video New Morning: The Paris Concert the following year.[29] On 7 February 2006, however, Dean died following a year of "heart and liver problems".[33] His place in the band was taken by Theo Travis, and in January 2007 the group issued their second studio album Steam.[29] In June 2008, Hopper was diagnosed with leukemia and temporarily replaced on tour by Fred Baker of In Cahoots.[8][34] He later died of the condition on 7 June 2009.[35] As had happened when Hopper left Soft Machine in 1973, his place was taken by Roy Babbington.[36] In 2010, the band issued the live collection Live Adventures recorded in 2009, which was followed in 2013 by their third studio release Burden of Proof.[29]
Soft Machine returns
[edit]Starting in December 2015, Theo Travis, John Etheridge, Roy Babbington and John Marshall began touring as Soft Machine, dropping "Legacy" from their name.[13] The band released their first official studio album under the original name since 1981 in the form of Hidden Details in September 2018. In December 2020 Fred Baker replaced Babbington.[13] In August 2022, Asaf Sirkis replaced newly retired John Marshall.[37][38] A new studio album, Other Doors, was released in June 2023. The album was recorded with Marshall before his departure.
Soft Machine members
[edit]Current members
[edit]Image | Name | Years active | Instruments | Soft Machine release contributions |
---|---|---|---|---|
John Etheridge |
|
guitars |
| |
Theo Travis | 2015–present[13] |
|
| |
Fred Baker | 2020–present[13] | bass |
| |
Asaf Sirkis |
|
"The Dew at Dawn" (2024) |
Former members
[edit]Image | Name | Years active | Instruments | Soft Machine release contributions |
---|---|---|---|---|
Mike Ratledge | 1966–1976[2][15] |
|
all releases from "Love Makes Sweet Music" (1967) to Softs (1976) and Live at the Proms 1970 (1988) to Switzerland 1974 (2015) | |
Robert Wyatt | 1966–1971[2][10] |
|
| |
Kevin Ayers | 1966–1968 (died 2013)[2][7] |
|
| |
Daevid Allen | 1966–1967 (died 2015)[2][4] |
|
| |
Larry Nowlin | 1966[39] |
|
none – live performances only | |
Andy Summers | 1968 | guitars | ||
Hugh Hopper | 1968–1973[8][11] (session guest earlier in 1968) (died 2009) |
|
| |
Brian Hopper | 1969 (session guest earlier in 1969)[40] | tenor and soprano saxophones |
| |
Elton Dean | 1969–1972 (died 2006)[9] |
|
| |
Lyn Dobson | 1969–1970[9] |
|
| |
Mark Charig | 1969 (session guests in 1970)[9] |
|
| |
Nick Evans | trombone |
| ||
Phil Howard | 1971–1972[10] | drums |
| |
John Marshall |
|
|
| |
Karl Jenkins |
|
|
| |
Roy Babbington |
|
|
||
Allan Holdsworth | (substitute for Etheridge at one show in 1977) (died 2017)[45] |
|
| |
Alan Wakeman | 1976[46][17] | tenor and soprano saxophones | Softs (1976) | |
Ray Warleigh |
|
|
| |
Ric Sanders | 1976–1978[19] | violin | Alive & Well: Recorded in Paris (1978) | |
Percy Jones | 1976[19] | bass | none – live performances only | |
Steve Cook | 1976–1978[20] | Alive & Well: Recorded in Paris (1978) | ||
Jack Bruce | 1980–1981 (died 2014) | Land Of Cockayne (1981)[45] | ||
Dick Morrissey | 1980–1981 (both died 2000) | tenor saxophone | ||
Stu Calver | vocals | |||
John Perry | 1980–1981 | |||
Tony Rivers | ||||
Alan Parker | rhythm guitar | |||
John Taylor | 1980–1981 (died 2015) | electric piano | ||
Paul Carmichael | 1984[23] | bass | none – live performances only | |
Dave MacRae |
|
Other Soft Machine musicians
[edit]Touring substitutes
[edit]Image | Name | Years active | Instruments | Details |
---|---|---|---|---|
Nic France |
|
drums | In 2017 and 2022, France filled in for John Marshall at a few shows, after the regular drummer injured his back.[47][48][49][50] | |
Gary Husband | 2018 | Husband substituted for Marshall on drums for a few gigs in 2018[51] |
Session musicians
[edit]Image | Name | Years active | Instruments | Release contributions |
---|---|---|---|---|
The Cake | 1968 | backing vocals | The Soft Machine (1968)[52] | |
Rab Spall | 1970 | violin | Third (1970)[44] | |
Jimmy Hastings |
|
| ||
Alan Skidmore | tenor saxophone | Fourth (1971)[43] | ||
Nick Utteridge | 2017 | wind chimes | Hidden Details (2018)[53] |
Spin-off band members
[edit]Image | Name | Years active | Instruments | Release contributions |
---|---|---|---|---|
Elton Dean |
|
|
all Soft Machine spin-off band releases from Rogue Element (1978) to New Morning: The Paris Concert (2006) | |
Pip Pyle | 1978–1988 (died 2006)[24] |
|
| |
Alan Gowen | 1978–1981 (until his death)[24] |
|
| |
Hugh Hopper |
|
bass | all Soft Machine spin-off band releases from Rogue Element (1978) to Al Dente (2008), except A Veritable Centaur (1995) | |
Dave Sheen | 1978 (touring)[25] | drums | Rogue Element (1978) | |
John Greaves | 1979–1988[27] |
|
A Veritable Centaur (1995) | |
Mark Hewins | 1981–1988[27] |
| ||
John Marshall | 1999–2015[29] (died 2023) |
|
all Soft Works and Soft Machine Legacy releases | |
Keith Tippett | 1999–2002[29] (touring 2015) (died 2020) |
|
none – live performances only | |
Allan Holdsworth | 2002–2004[29] |
|
Abracadabra (2003) | |
Hoppy Kamiyama | 2003 (Soft Mountain)[31] | keyboards | Soft Mountain (2007) | |
Tatsuya Yoshida | drums | |||
Sophia Domancich | 2003–2004 (Soft Bounds)[32] |
|
Live at Le Triton 2004 (2005) | |
Simon Goubert | drums | |||
John Etheridge | 2004–2015[29] | guitars | all Soft Machine Legacy releases | |
Theo Travis | 2006–2015[29] |
|
| |
Fred Baker | 2008–2009[34][a] (touring) | bass | none | |
Roy Babbington | 2009–2015[36] | bass |
|
Other spin-off band musicians
[edit]Touring substitutes
[edit]Image | Name | Years active | Instruments | Details |
---|---|---|---|---|
Liam Genockey | 2004–2005 | drums | Genockey and Fletcher substituted for the injured John Marshall at shows in October 2004 and summer 2005.[40] | |
Mark Fletcher | 2005 | |||
Nic France | 2015 | During 2015, France and Husband filled in for John Marshall for several shows, after the regular drummer injured his back.[54][55][56][57][58] | ||
Gary Husband |
Session musicians
[edit]Image | Name | Years active | Instruments | Release contributions |
---|---|---|---|---|
Alain Eckert | 1982–1983 | guitar synthesizer | A Veritable Centaur (1995)[59] |
Soft Machine timeline
[edit]![](http://up.wiki.x.io/wikipedia/en/timeline/muzbghgp434i310qfsi9f64eig8etn6.png)
Spin-off band timeline
[edit]![](http://up.wiki.x.io/wikipedia/en/timeline/bksyoxlnbebf3j8f7ds7pxkha4t840j.png)
Soft Machine lineups
[edit]Period | Members | Releases |
---|---|---|
August – September 1966 |
|
none |
September 1966 – August 1967 |
|
|
August 1967 – May 1968 |
|
|
May – July 1968 |
|
none |
July – September 1968 |
|
|
December 1968 – May 1969 |
|
|
May – October 1969 |
|
|
October – December 1969 |
|
|
December 1969 – March 1970 |
|
|
March 1970 – August 1971 |
|
|
August 1971 – January 1972 |
|
|
January – May 1972 |
|
|
May 1972 – May 1973 |
|
|
May – November 1973 |
|
|
November 1973 – April 1975 |
|
|
April 1975 – January 1976 |
|
|
January – March 1976 |
|
|
March – June 1976 |
|
|
June – September 1976 |
|
none |
September – November 1976 |
| |
November 1976 – March 1978 |
|
|
December 1978 |
|
none |
Band inactive January 1979 – May 1980 | ||
June 1980 – March 1981 |
|
|
Band inactive April 1981 – June 1984 | ||
July – August 1984 |
|
none |
Band inactive September 1984 – November 2015 | ||
December 2015 – December 2020 |
|
|
December 2020 – August 2022 |
|
|
August 2022 – present |
|
|
Spin-off band lineups
[edit]Period | Members | Releases |
---|---|---|
Soft Heap (1978–1979) |
|
|
Soft Head (April – August 1978) |
|
|
Soft Heap (1979–1981) |
|
none |
Soft Heap (1981–1988) |
|
|
Spin-off bands inactive 1988–1999 | ||
Soft Ware (September 1999 – June 2002) |
|
none |
Soft Works (June 2002 – October 2004) |
|
|
Soft Mountain (August 2003) |
|
|
Soft Bounds (2003–2004) |
|
|
Soft Machine Legacy (October 2004 – February 2006) |
|
|
Soft Machine Legacy (March 2006 – June 2009) |
|
|
Soft Machine Legacy (July 2009 – December 2015) |
|
|
References
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{{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ Spaced (liner notes). Soft Machine. Cuneiform Records. 1996. Rune 90.
{{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ a b c Fourth (Media notes). Soft Machine. CBS Records. 1971. S 64280.
{{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ a b c Third (Media notes). Soft Machine. Columbia Records. 1970. CG 30339.
{{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ a b Land of Cockayne (Media notes). Soft Machine. EMI Records. 1981. 1A 062-07439.
{{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ Lynch, Dave. "Softs". AllMusic. Retrieved 4 November 2020.
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- ^ "The Dead Rock Stars Club - The 1980s". thedeadrockstarsclub.com. Retrieved 23 February 2023.
- ^ Hidden Details (Media notes). Soft Machine. Moonjune Records. 2018. MJR093.
{{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ Cloud, Gaz (28 July 2017). "Interview: Soft Machine". Echoes and Dust. Retrieved 31 October 2019.
- ^ "Nic France Biography". Paiste. Retrieved 31 October 2019.
- ^ Swan, Richard (29 March 2022). "Soft Machine". T P A. Retrieved 10 March 2023.
- ^ philfacelift (30 March 2022). "Soft Machine, Band on the Wall, 28 March 2022". The Canterbury scene(zine) continued.... Retrieved 10 March 2023.
- ^ "Gary Husband: Soft Machine Legacy- Japan Tour dates". Thunder Drummer. 16 March 2015. Retrieved 31 October 2019.
- ^ A Veritable Centaur (Media notes). Soft Heap. Impetus Records. 1995. IMP CD 18219.
{{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
- ^ Baker replaced regular bassist Hugh Hopper between his 2008 leukemia diagnosis and his death in 2009.